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Ernest Jernigan Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 0437

Scope and Content

The Ernest Jernigan Papers primarily consists of correspondence related to Jernigan's role as instructor and chair of the Social Science Department at College of Central Florida. He often reached out to famous Floridians including Ross Allen and Cliff Stearns, asking them to speak at the college or at one of his Future Institutes.

Dates

  • Creation: 1932 - 2017
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1955 - 2000

Creator

Access

The collection is open for research.

Biographical/Historical Note

Ernest Jernigan was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1926. He graduated from Plant High School in 1944 and served in the Army during World War II before earning a bachelor's degree in history from Stetson University in 1949. He completed a master’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina in 1951 and taught briefly at Atlanta's West Fulton High School from 1951-1952. From 1953 to 1955, Jernigan taught history at Reinhardt College in Waleska, Georgia. In 1955, he moved to Asheville-Biltmore College, where he served as a basketball coach and Director of Athletics. That same year, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Jernigan served as publicity director for the outdoor drama "Chucky Jack" by Kermit Hunter. While working on this production, he met Anita Fay Huskey, who was the finance director for the City of Gatlinburg. The two married in 1956 and moved to Florida in 1957 after Jernigan accepted a position at St. Petersburg Junior College. In 1958, he moved to Central Florida Community College in Ocala (now College of Central Florida), where he was the founding chair of the Social Science Department and the founder of the Criminal Justice Institute. He retired in 1990. During his career, Jernigan served on the board of directors of the Florida Council for the Social Studies, the Florida Political Science Association, the Florida Center for Education in Politics, the Florida College Teachers of History, and the Florida Historical Society. He was also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1963, he won a Florida Center for Education in Politics faculty congressional internship, serving in the office of Senator George Smathers for a month.

During his 37 years as an instructor, Jernigan taught classes on political science, economics, Florida history, and American government. He was primarily interested in future studies, in which scholars try to project what will happen in the future based on current trends. He published several books on the subject, including Florida: Past, Present, Future; The Future; America and World: 1987-2007; and America and World 1995-2015. He also published a pamphlet, "Projection 1980," based on a paper he presented at the First Global Conference on the Future. He planned several Future Institutes and taught classes on the subject. In 2001, he also coauthored a book, entitled Ocala, with Kevin M. McCarthy.

In addition to his academic career, Jernigan was a journalist. In the 1950s, he wrote a column for the North Georgia Tribune and wrote about boxing for the Tampa Daily Times, while serving as a publicist for boxers Lou Viscusi and Joe Brown. He also served as the editor of several periodicals, including Florida Today, International Affairs Tomorrow, and the Future Reporter.

Jernigan was very active in the local community. In 1967, he unsuccessfully ran for a seat serving the Alachua-Marion County district in the Florida House of Representatives, challenging incumbent William V. Chappell. He was chairman of the Marion County Historical Commission and on the board of directors of the Marion County Blood Bank. He worked to have the City of Ocala and Marion County purchase the site of Fort King, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2004. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Ocala, serving in different positions including extension activities director. He established the University of Florida's Fay and Ernest Jernigan Scholarship for Nursing Excellence in 2006.

Ernest Jernigan died on October 2, 2017. He was predeceased by his wife of over forty years, Anita (in 2001), and their son Jerry, who died in 2013. He is survived two sons, Daniel and Timothy, and by his wife of ten years, Carol Ann Boyles Jernigan.

Extent

1.37 Linear Feet (3 Boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Correspondence, writings, and other papers of Professor Ernest Jernigan, a Florida historian and future studies scholar at College of Central Florida. The collection also includes a selection of Jernigan’s fiction and nonfiction writing, and information on both his personal life and career.

Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Acquisition Information

Donated by Ernest Jernigan and Carole Ann Boyles-Jernigan.

Related Materials

The University of Florida Smathers Libraries holds collections related to several of Jernigan's correspondents, including Lawton Chiles, Manning Dauer, Rembert W. Patrick, Robert N. "Bert" Dosh, Samuel Proctor, and Ralph D. Turlington.

Title
A Guide to the Ernest Jernigan Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created by Bridget Bihm-Manuel
Date
February 2019
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida Repository

Contact:
George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117005
Gainesville Florida 32611-7005 United States of America
352-273-2755